Heating element



w.' H. SHERMAN HEATING ELEMENT July 14, 1925.

Filed 001;. 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

WILL/14M h. azz/1190'.

July 14, 1925. 1,545,319

w. H. SHERMAN HEATING ELEMENT Filecl'Oct. 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1925. i ,1;

UNITED STATES WILLIAM HORACE SHERMAN, OF KQKOMO, INDIAN- A.

HEATING ELEMENT.

Application filed October 29, 1921. Serial No. 511,398.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TVILLIAM H. SHER MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Elements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to heating elements and is designed primarily for heating portable hot water boilers or radiators, such as are used for heating the rooms of a building, although it will be understood that the heating element may be used: for various purposes.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a burner so constructed that a perfect combustion will be produced, parts of the burner being arranged for automatically determining or regulating the amount of vapor and combustion at different points on the burner.

A further feature of the invention is in so constructing parts of the burner that a vacuum will be created for controlling and maintaining the blaze directly over the center of the burner and for consuming and eliminating odors from the fuel.

A further feature of the invention is in so constructing parts of the burner, as to provide a groove or channel in which the liquor fuel is vaporized.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of afuel conveying duct or pipe for conveying the fuel from a point exteriorly of the burner chamber into the burner, the receiving end of the duct being sufficiently removed from the flame from the burner to avoid possibility of ignition of the fuel at the point of entrance into the duct. 7

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a fuel tank or container which is so arranged that the heat from the heating element will maintain the fuel within the tank in a warm, or more or less heated condition whereby it will more readily discharge from the tank.

A further feature of the invent-ion is the provision of an automatic float controlled means for feeding the fuel from the tank into the open end of the fuel duct or pipe, said feeding element being so constructed that the fuel will be fed in the form of drops or at a very slow rate, the controlling means for the feeding of the fuel also being arranged for loosening and preventing undue collection of sediment in parts of the feeding device.

A further feature of the invention is the provision in connection with the fuel duct' of a priming cup so that a liquid other than the fuel normally provided for operating the burner may be introduced into the vaporizing chamber and'ignited for preheating the burner and causing the fuel to vaporize as it enters the burner.

And a further feature of the invention is the provision of means for mounting the burner in a casing so that said burner, together with the fuel duct and priming cup, may be removed as a unit from its casing when desired.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view of the heating element showing the same applied to use in connection with a portable hot water heater or radiator,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the burner with the radiator'removed on line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a. top plan view of the heating unitshowing the fuel tank in position thereon.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a radiator or boiler which may be constructed in any suitable manner and is designed to contain water, said radiator being preferably mounted upon the upper end of a housing or chamber 2, the lower end of the housing or chamber resting upon a movable platform 3, and; for convenience of transporting the radiator from place to place the platform is preferably mounted upon a. plurality of castors 4.

In order to properly heat the contents of the radiator 1, a burner 5 is located in the housing 2 centrally below the radiator 1, and is mounted on a stem 6 which is in turn secured to apan 7 removably mounted upon the platform 3, the pan being provided to catch any fuel that might aeci dentally overflow fro-m the burner. The burner 5 consists of a frame or spider 8 which is attached to and supported by the stem 6, said frame having a circular groove or channel 9 formed in the upper face thereof which. acts as a vaporizing chamber when fuel is entered therein. The vaporized fuel arising from the groove 9 travels between circular drums or shields 10 and 11, the drum 1O resting at the inner edge of the groove 9, while the drum 11 rests at the outer edge of said groove, thereby providing a space between the drums equal in width to the width of the groove. The drums 119 and 1-1 are each provided with a plurality of perforations 12 and 13, respectively, which extend from the top to the bottomof the drums and form openings for the passage'of oxygen andconstitute 7 riorly of the drum 10, while the cone 15 is positioned exteriorly of the drum 11 and rests upon brackets 16 attached to the frame 8, these cones forming air passages respectively withinthe drum 10, and exteriorly of the drum 11. By arranging the cones 14 and Cir 15 as shown, the air passages are gradually restricted from the'lower to the upper ends of the drums 10' and 11.

This is done in view of the fact that the vapor .decrcases towards the upper ends of the drums lOand 11, consequently it is necessary to decrease tlie'supply of oxygen, thereby maintaining substantially uniform flame jets from the bottom to the top of the drums. In order to form a more complete combustion, and at the same time trim the flame from the burner, the upper ends of'the cones 14 and 15 are provided with flanges-17 and 18 respectively, which project over the upper ends of the drums 10 and 11 and are slightly spaced therefrom to form, narrow passages 19 and 20 respectively, bet-ween the flanges and the upper ends of the drums, these restricted passages causing a more perfect combustion and serving to control and prevent the spreading of :the flame as it passes between the upper endspof the cones.

The cone 14 is preferably adjustable vertically, as by means of threads on the stem 6 to coact with threads on the frame '8, and a lock-nut 6 serves to prevent accidental movement.

In order to more properly control the flame as it arises from the burner and cause the same to collect centrally over the burner, the cone 14 is provided with a cavity 21 which creates a vacuum and results in drawing the flame towards the center of the burner, and any fumesnthatmightarise from the fuel will be drawn into the cavity, or into the more intense heat where it will be fully consumed, consequently the burner is practically odorless. As it'is necessary as a matter of necessity to convey the fuel from a source removed from the burner, a duct or pipe 22 is connected with the frame 8 in such manner as to convey fuel into the groove 9, said duct extending through a section 23 of the wall forming the housing 2, and' is provided at its outer end with a driplcup-24' into which the fuel is entered for passage through the duct. The fuel is confined ina tank25 and as it is very desirable to retain the fuel in a warm or heated condition the tank 25 is preferably constructed in the shapeof a ring and is located around the periphery of the radiator 1, brackets 26 or other suitable supportingmeans beingprovided for the tank, and said tank may be slightly spaced from the walls of the radiator or placed in close proximity thereto aszmay be desired, consequently when the contents of the radiator ;1 becomes heated, such heat will be imparted to the contents of-the tank thereby causing the fluid therein to flow readily at all times. In burners of this classit is necessary to provide an absolutely uniform feed for the fuel and such that the fuel will be very slowly'and constantly fed, and to this end a fuel chamber 27 vis connected to a cap 28, said cap-having a neck 29 which is threaded into a collar 30 depending from the tank 25, the upper end of the neck extending a short distance vinto the tank; The fuel: chamber 27 has an upwardly extending flange v31 which projects a distance above the normal fuel level in the fuel chamber while the meeting edges of the fuel chamber 27 and the cap 28 are provided with shoulders 32 and 33respectively,ibetween which .is introduced a packing '34 thereby sealing the fuel chamber against leakage.

Mounted wi hm the fuel chamber 27' is a float 35 through which extends a stem 36, the upper end ofthe-stcm forming a valve 37 which enters a fuel passage 88 in the neck 29, the Valve 37 being preferably tapered and engaging with a tapered seat when the valveis in closed position and which regulates the admissionor feed of the fuel into the fuel chamber. The lower end of the stem 36 fits loosely in a bore "39 in a valve sleeve 40, said valve sleeve extending through an extension 41 depending from the fuel chamber 27. I The lower end of the bore 39 terminates in ports 42 which are preferably diametrically opposite each other and extend through the tapered end 43 of the sleeve 40, the end of vthesleeve terminating in a finger or droppingpoint 44, and by arranging the sleeve in; this manner the fuel will pass about the lower part of stem 36 to the bottom of the sleeve and will be discharged into thedrip cup in the form of drops. Threaded onto the extension 41 is a regulating nut which is so constructed that it will control the feed of the fuel through the ports 42 and will regulate the number of drops discharged from the end of the finger 44 in a prescribedlength of time; or said nut may be operated to entirely cut off the flow of fuel through the ports. After the nut has been properly'adjusted to regulate the flow of fuel an adjustable stop 46 is clamped around the nut, said stop, when the'nut is moved to open position, striking a lug 47 on the bottom of the fuel chamber, thereby preventing the nut from being opened to a greater extent, consequently when the nut has been closed to shut off the fuel and it is desired to again operate the burner, it is but necessary to ro tate the nut until the stop engages the lug 47. If a greater amount of fuel is to be used the stop 46' is loosened from the nut and the nut turned to feed a greater amount of fuel after which the stop is again clamped onto the nut and by this arrangement the same amount of fuel will be fed when the nut is moved from closed to open position without requiring any further adjustment or regulation. The portion of theistein 36 entering the sleeve 40 not only serves, in conjunction with the valve 37, to hold the float 35 in proper position, but also serves to agitate the oil in the valve sleeve by suction and compression, thus causing any oil clot to break loose from the walls. of the bore in the sleeve, or that may collect adjacent or in the ports 42, thus maintaining a more constant feed of the fuel through the ports.

The neck 29 has a vent opening 48 for ventilating the interior of the fuel chamber, a tube 49 extending upwardly from the end of the neck 29 to a point adjacent'the upper wall of the tank so that fuel cannot feed through the vent opening. A strainer tube 50 is extended vertically through the tank 25, and if desired a gauze strainer 51 may be placed around the strainer tube for removing sediment and the like from the liquid fuel. If desired a cap 52 may be extended through the wall of the tank 25 and over the end of the strainer tube 50 thereby giving access to the interior of the tank for the introduction or removal of the strainer tube and gauze. The tank 25 is also provided with a neck 58 which forms a filler opening for the tank, a cap 54 being threaded over the end of the neck and preferably provided with a vent opening 55 to prevent a vacuum forming in the tank.

As it is necessary to heat the parts of the burner sufficiently so that the liquid fuel will be vaporized as it enters the groove 9 of the burner, it is necessary to first introduce a quantity of highly inflammable material into the vaporizing grooveprior to admitting the naturalfuel, and to this end a priming cup 56 is connected with the duct 22 at a point adjacent is connection with the burner, the cup being of asize to hold the proper amount of highly inflammable substance to properly heat' the burner, and in order to prevent the inflammable substance entering the duct until such time as a prescribed amount of the inflammable material has been entered in the priming cup, a valve 57 is provided which closes the passage through the lowerend of the priming cup until such time as it is desired to admit the inflammable material into the vaporizing groove of the burner. I

In applying the burner to use the'section- 23 is moved outwardly and as the pan 7 is connected to said section the burner and fuel duct 22 are moved outwardly with the pan,- these parts being connected together to form a unit. As soon as the priming cup has been filled with highly inflammable material the valve 57 is opened to admit the inflammable material to the vaporizing groove 9, when said inflammable material is ignited and the section 23 then returned to. closed position such action returning the burner 5 to its initial position and again centering the drip cup 24 below the drip finger 44. As

soon as the highly inflammable material has been burning a sufficient length of time to cause the fuel to vaporize on reaching the heated parts of the burner, the nut 45 is operated to open the ports 42 when-the fuel from the tank 25 will begin-to feed into the drip cup 24 and from thencethrough the duct 22 into the vaporizing groove and the surrounding parts of the burner. This fuel will be instantly vaporized on reaching the heated channel 9 and will ignite and continue to burn so long as the fuel is fed int-o the vaporizing chamber.

Should, for any reason, the fuel openings controlled by the float become foul, or in fact any parts thereof, they may be readily cleansed by unscrewing the fuel chamber from the cap 28 and the parts of the device separated and cleansed, and likewise should the strainer tube and gauze become filled with'sediment or the like they may be easily removed and cleansed. Y 1 1 Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a heating element, a frame structure having a vaporizing groove therein, means comprising a pair of perforated concentrically arranged cylinders extending upwardly from the same groove for confining the vaporized fuel and permitting air to'enter in jets between the said cylinders, and a cone extending around the outer cylinder and arranged to conduct air to the perforations of the said outer cylinder in decreasing quantities-from the bottom of the cylinder to'the topthereof said cone having a flange spaced above and overhanging the outer cylinder, substantially'as set forth.

2. In a heating element, a frame structure having a vaporizing groove therein, meanscomprisi'ng a pair of perforated concentrically arranged cylinders extending upwardly from the same groove for confining the vaporized fuel and permitting air'to enter in jets between the said cylinders, a.

cone extending around the outer cylinder and arranged to conduct an to theperforations of the'said outer cylinder in decreasing quantities from the bottom of the cylinder to the top thereof, said cone having a flange,

extendingaround theouter cylinder and ar-' ranged to conduct air to the perforationsof the said outer cylinder in decreasing. quantities fromthe' bottom of {the cylinder to the top thereof, said cone having a ifiange spaced above and overhanging the outer cylinder, and a second cone within the'inner cylinder and having a flange spaced above and overhanging the inner cylinder the flanges of said cones lying substantially in the same horizontal plane, said second cone being closed at the bottom whereby fumes from the burner are-caused to be drawn inwardly, substantially as set forth.

4;. In a heating element, a frame structure comprising an annular combustion passage defined by a p'airof perforated concentrical- 1y arranged cylinders, a cone.arrangedwithin the inner cylinder provided with a horizontal flange spaced above and overhang ing the inner cylinder said cone extending downwardly from said flange to a point adjacent the plane of the bottoms of the cylinders and said cone being closed at the bottom and open at the top whereby fumes from the burner will be drawn inwardly,

the vaporized fuel and permitting air to enter in jets between the said cylinders, a cone and having a flange spaced above and overhangingthe inner cylinder, said second cone arranged to conduct air to the perforations of said inner cylinder in quantities decreasing from the bottom to the top thereof and said second cone being closed at the bottom whereby the fumes from the burner are caused to be drawn inwardly, substantially as set forth.

6. In a heatingelenient, a housing having a removable section, a pan secured to said section, a burner carried by the pan, fuel-supplying means :for the burner including a tube mounted in said removable section and leading to the burner,a priming device on the tube inside the housing, a drip cupat the outer end of the tube, and anannular fuel tank encircling the heating element said tank having means to feed liquid fuel in'drops to the drip cup, substantially asset forth.

7. In a heating element, a frame structure having a vaporizing groove therein, means comprising. a pair of perforated concentrically arranged cylinders extending upwardly from the said groove for confining the vaporized fuel and causing the air to enter in jets between the said cylinders, and an inverted cone arranged within the inner cylinder provided with a horizontal flange at its upper end overhanging the inner cylinder but spaced from the upper margin thereof, substantially as set forth.

8. In a heating element, a frame structure having a vaporizing .groove therein, means comprising a pair of perforated concentrically arranged cylinders extending upwardly from the said groove for confining the vaporized fuel and causing the air to enter in jets between the said cylinders, and an inverted cone arranged within the inner cylinder the apex of said cone being near the level of the vaporizing groove andthe base approximately on a level with the upper ends of said cylinders, substantially as set forth.

:9. A burner comprising a main member, perforated tubular inner and outer casings having their lower ends resting directly on the main member, the main member being provided with an annular fuel trough lo cated between the casings, means for discharging fuel -into the trough, a cap sup- }ported on the main memberand located out- 'wa-rdly of the outer casing, the cap slanting inwardly from its lower end to its upper end, the main member having an air inlet opening discharging between the cap and the outer casing; a core located within the inner casing and slanting outwardly from its lower end to its upper end, the main member having an air inlet opening disposed between the core and the inner casing; and means for supporting the core from the main member, independently of the casing.

10. A burner comprising a main member; a support vertically adjustable in the main member; means for holding the support in adjusted positions; an inverted conical core carried by the upper end of the support, a conical cap mounted on the main member,

spaced perforated annular casings mounted on the main member and located between the core and the cap, and means for discharging tuel between the casings.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Kokomo, Indiana, this 21st day of October, A. D. nineteen hundred 20 and twenty-one.

WILLIAM HORACE SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

WV. H. BRUNER, EMERSON MARTIN. 

